Gun mounting



p 1956 E. E.-LIBMAN 2,763,190

GUN MOUNTING Filed Oct. 15, 1953 INVENTOR EARL E. L/BMA/V if Z/MZMW ATTORNEYS United States Patent GUNMOUNITNG Earl E. Libman, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United Statesof. America asrep, resented'by the Secretary of the. Navy.

Appli ati n O tob r 15, l ss. Se i l Nasnens I '10. Claims. ('Cl. 895-42) i n nti es o r pr v n ntsin gun. mounti niqu a d v es, an h -pa icular. app ca ion where space limi ations are so s vere hat he x trunnion type of gun mounting is either impossible. or impractical.

In he us l air n gun ount, ecoil. forces are a pted y th fi d r nnion supp r through the r nnio d c de gn is tisfact ry.. However, in some installations it is not possible to have trunnions carried by a fixed support with the gun rotatable about the 'tr unnions. An object of this invention is to provide. a gun mount for these installations, that allows the gun to be moved h ough t e vario necessa y ng s, an r ieve the r nnions and heir upp r romabsorbi g the recoil of the gun.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide. a unmoun ng a ncl d s. a curved recoiLtraekto which the gun is-connected, as by recoil and counter-recoil rollers, the track curvature being such that the gun longitudinal axis is always normal to the track. inany of the ularly t d g n p s ons. the gunh ng movable to the various pos tions by actuation of anarrn having one end constrained by a fixed cam and the, otherend connected with a carriage to move it and the gun carried thereby through definite;anglescompatible with the curvature of the track. I

Other objects and features will become apparent in following'the description-of the-illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawing:'

1 is: a perspective. view ofhe.-.reeoil track and e of tracks or rails for the carriage forming parts of the invention, there being schematically illustrated in block form, the gun, carriage and gun supporting frame;

Fig. 2 is an elevational side view of a typical embodiment of the invention, portions being broken away in section.

A number of major elements and assemblies coact to form the illustrated embodiment (Fig. 2), several of which have been shown alone in Fig. 1 in that the compactness of the invention tends to obscure the structure. In Fig. 1 there is a suitable base which is adapted to be fixed to an aircraft structure, ship or other vehicle, as a tank. Angled forwardly from the vertical direction is a set of rails or tracks 12, 13, 14 and 15, each having an' inwardly opening roller or shoe receiving groove 16 in which rollers 18 or the equivalent are operable. The rollers are mounted on front and rear edges of a carriage 20, schematically represented in Fig. 1, that extends between the pair 12, 13 and the pair 14, of rails. A recoil track 22 consisting of a pair of curved rails 24 and 26, is provided behind the aforementioned rails, and is configured in cross section to accommodate recoil rollers 28 and counter-recoil rollers 30 (Fig. 2). Recoil track 22 is preferably, but not necessarily, secured to base 10, and may be secured elsewhere for strengthening it. These 2 elements are seen best in Fig. 1 and fit into the general. organization of Fig. 2 as follows.

A cradle 32 is mounted between the pairs of rails and in. the carriage 20, the latter being separate blockson of. one piece construction. In either case axially aligned trunnions 34 are mounted in suitable bearingszin carriage 20 and secured to cradle 32, whence the cradle is ,free to rotate relative to carriage 20 with the trunnions. 34 as. an. axis of rotation. Free motion is notpermitted, however, since gun G is provided with the recoil and. counter.-' recoil, rollers 28 and 30, respectively, and thegun. is. carried by a frame 36 slidably disposed in cradle :32.v Suitable sliding connections. are providedbctween. the, frame 36 and cradle 32, as tongues 38'fon frame 36 and; longitudinal grooves in the cradle. i

Means are providedfor shifting .thegunaxis, that :is, angularly displacing it, these means including someof. the structure previously described. A source of power actuates the telescoping shaft 40, which. throughagearv train 42. carried by carriage 20, tends to rotate onev end of I arm 44in that one end of it is fixed togear 45 of gear.

train 42 and toone of the trunnions 34. The opposite end of thearm 44 has a camfollower 46 onitservingas. an instantaneous center'for. arm 44 when shaft 40 is rotated, because the follower 46 is constrained to the motion prescribed by cam-48, the latter being fixedito base 10 orany other object that is stationaryrelativeto arm 44. Hence, the surfaces of. cam 48 .defineacentroid for the movement of arm 44. caused by actuation ofshaft 40. Accordingly, arm 44 will travelin the direction of. the arrow (Fig. 2) elevating. carriage 20, cradle 32.and frame36 containing gun G-. Atthesame time thecarriage with-everything connected to it is movedby arm, 44, cradle. 32, frame 36 and gun Gis angularly shifted due, to rotation. of trunnion 34: to whichv arm 44, is,fi xed, cradle 32 being fixed to'thetrunnions .34, andframef36 being rotatable with cradle 32. With the surface of cam. 4&providing a definite centroid for motion of. arm 44,.- a correct curvaturefor track 22 maybe calculated .so' that the longitudinal axis of gunG is always perpendicular to.

' tracl; .22. in all positions of the. gun.

Inoperation shaft. 40 is rotated in order: to shiftthe gun/axis .tothe desired position. In sodoing carriage. 2D. is moved on tracks 12, 13, 14 and 15, carrying. gear train 42. with it, and necessitating, a telescoping-or flexible. are rangement of shaft 40. As the carriage is moved, assume the upward direction with respect to Fig. 2, the carriage is moved forward due to the slope of rails 12, 13, 14 and 15, and at the same time the cradle 32 is rotated with the aligned trunnions 34, since one trunnion is fixed to cradle 32 and also to arm 44, one end of which is slidable in cam 48 providing a centroid for motion of arm 44. Hence, arm 44 will cause the carriage 20 to be elevated and the cradle 32 to rotate in a definite path of travel. Since frame 36 may merely slide longitudinally of cradle 32 and gun G is carried thereby, the frame and gun must move in the path dictated by the travel of cradle 32 and hence, arm 44. As the path of travel of gun G in all positions of adjustment is known, a curve perpendicular to the gun axis may be drawn, and such a curve reproduced in track 22.

Accordingly, instead of recoil forces being absorbed by the trunnions and support for the trunnions, as is common practice, the recoil forces are taken by the curved track 22. This is possible from a practical standpoint since the gun longitudinal axis is maintained normal to track 22 in all positions of angular deflection. It is understood the variations may be made without departing from the protection of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mount for a gun comprising a frame for the gun,

Patented Sept. 18,1956.

a cradle in which said frame is longitudinally slidable, means connected with said frame to constrain its move ment with respect to said cradle, a set of rails, a carriage movably mounted on said set of rails, a pair of aligned trunnions mounting said cradle on said carriage for rotation about an axis in a plane normal to a plane in which said carriage moves, a recoil track against which recoil forces are adapted to react, said track having the gun operatively connected with it and being perpendicular to the gun axis, and means drivingly connected with said carriage to move said carriage and thereby move said cradle and frame to new angular positions.

2. The gun mount of claim 1; and said carriage moving means comprising an arm having one end secured to one of said trunnions, a fixed cam, means slidably connect'mg the opposite end of said arm to said fixed cam, and means drivingly connected with said arm to angularly displace the arm while one of its ends is constrained by said fixed cam.

3. In a mount for a gun having a longitudinal axis, a curved recoil track, a frame on which the gun is supported, means connecting the gun to said recoil track, a cradle in which said frame is longitudinally slidably mounted, a set of tracks, a carriage mounted on said set of tracks, a pair of trunnions on which said cradle is mounted and carried by said carriage, and means connected with said carriage for moving said carriage on its tracks and for moving said cradle and frame to selected angular positions whereby the gun axis is shifted.

4. In a mount for a gun having a longitudinal axis, a curved recoil track, a frame on which the gun is supported, means connecting the gun to said recoil track, a cradle in which said frame is longitudinally slidably mounted, a set of tracks, a carriage mounted on said set of tracks, a pair of trunnions on which said cradle is mounted and carried by said carriage, and means connected with said carriage for moving said carriage on its tracks and for moving said cradle and frame to selected angular positions whereby the gun axis is shifted, the last-mentioned means including a cam, an arm provided with a cam follower operative on said cam, said arm being connected to one of said trunnions, and means for rotating said trunnions thereby displacing said arm with the motion thereof constrained by said cam.

5. In a gun mount, a curved recoil track, a gun having an axis, and means connecting the gun to said recoil track, means for shifting the gun to selected angular positions while always maintaining said axis normal to said recoil track, said shifting means including a fixed cam, an

arm provided with a cam follower contacting'said cam and providing instantaneous centers of rotation while said cam defines a centroid for said arm, a pair of trunnions, a carriage in which said trunnions are carried and operatively connected with said arm, and means carried by said trunnions supporting the gun.

6. In a gun mount, a curved recoil track, a gun having an axis, and means connecting the gun to said recoil track, means for shifting the gun to selected angular positions defines a centroid for said arm, a pair of trunnions, a

carriage in which said trunnions are carried and operatively connected with said arm, and means carried by said trunnions supporting the gun including a cradle, and

I a gun supporting frame slidably disposed in said cradle.

7. The gun mount of claim 5; and mechanical means drivingly connected with said arm to actuate said arm.

8. In a gun mounting that includes a cradle in which improvement comprising a curved recoil track, means operatively connecting the gun to said recoil track, and means connected to said frame for shifting the frame to selected angularly deflected positions constrained always so that the gun axis is normal to said track.

9. In a gun mounting that includes a cradle in which a gun supporting frame is slidable axially of the gun, the improvement comprising a curved recoil track, means operatively connecting the gun to said recoil track, a pair of trunnions forming an axis of rotation of said frame and at least one of the trunnions being secured to said frame, and means connected to the last mentioned trunnion for laterally displacing and angularly deflecting said frame to shift the gun axis while retaining said axis normal to said track.

10. The mounting of claim 9; and the last-mentioned means including an arm having one end fixed to said one of said trunnions and means fixing a centroid for the motion of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,105 Sanford et a1 Apr. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS;

443,783 Germany May 6, 1927 

